


Solangelo Week 2020

by cockyhammer



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Fantasy AU, M/M, Sleeptalking, godswap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24867439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cockyhammer/pseuds/cockyhammer
Summary: My entires for Solangelo Week!Day 1 - Father's DayDay 2 - InfirmaryDay 3 - Fantasy/Sci-Fi AUDay 4 - Free DayDay 5 - Nightmares/SleeptalkingDay 6 - GodswapDay 7 - Capture the FlagAlso found on my Tumblr (@/damyoupersassy) and my Wattpad (@/cockyhammer)
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 11
Kudos: 126





	1. Father's Day

**Author's Note:**

> Father's Day at Camp Half-Blood is for children whose godly parent is their father. Their older siblings come to camp and spend the day with them, talk about being X's kid, practice their powers, etc. Just some sibling bonding. Other older demigods also come to help out - they spend time with the kids whose godly parents are their moms or who don't have older siblings to come.

Will was with the Apollo Campers currently, teaching some of the older kids basic first aid. Kayla and Austin were also teaching archery and music, respectively. Since the gods couldn’t be bothered to check in, Mother’s and Father’s Day were hosted by older half-bloods.

Nico was with other campers for the day. Kids whose godly parents were their mothers or kids with no older sibling to take up a dad-role for the day. He saw a piece of himself in those kids. All kids, especially demigods, should have a role-model. A mentor. Someone to explain things. Maybe he was projecting, though. He was bitter no one was there to elucidate the skeletons-coming-out-of-the-ground phenomena.

He was reading to a younger group of kids. It was difficult considering they all had ADHD, but a little Underworld magic here or there kept their attention long enough. He could feel Chiron casting scolding glances his way every time he did. Nico ignored him; he was grown now, Chiron couldn’t put him on dish duty after dinner anymore. He always had a little bit of soft spot for Nico, anyway. He knew what he’d gone through and could never find it in himself to fully reprimand him.

“They all lived happily ever after, the end.” Nico finished the book. The kids look up at him expectantly. “What do you guys think?” He decides to ask. “Why wasn’t the dragon evil?” A little boy asks. He’s about seven or eight, a child of Aphrodite. Nico falters for a moment. He knows from experience that’s just how it is doesn’t appease children. It surely didn’t appease him as a child. “... Sometimes things are different from how we think they are. Things that look evil can be good, or things that seem good can be evil.”

Briefly, he thinks of Luke Castellan. Percy could vouch for his statement. Then he thinks about himself. Himself as a young teenager so lost and alone. Hades wasn’t evil, Nico’s lineage wasn’t evil. He suddenly felt so glad for the book in his hands. He felt glad for the kids in front of him, learning this lesson now.

The boy nods. “I think it’s time for lunch. Let’s go!” Nico got up and led all the kids to the dining pavilion.

Nico’s an adult now, so he gets to sit with the rest of the adults. He has to admit it feels weird; he’s not alone at the Hades table or arguing with Chiron about sitting at the Apollo table. It’s a good weird. It’s even better when he’s slightly startled by a hand touching his shoulder gently. "Heya," Will sits down next to him and pecks his lips quickly.

“How are you? How are the kids?” Nico asks, taking a sip of his drink. Will sighs over-exaggeratedly. “Apollo’s been busy. There were not this many of us when I was younger. But honestly? The kids are super lively and great.” Nico smiles cheekily. “Apollo kids are pretty great.” Will rolls his eyes. “What about you, sunshine? You had the little kids, right?” Nico nodded. “Actually, I'm kinda enjoying it. We read a book and I definitely didn’t use my powers to my advantage.” Will snorts.

The couple is surprised when a little girl runs up to the table. She has dirty blonde hair and bright eyes. She’s wearing an orange camp shirt and some baby-overalls. Shortly behind her is her father.

Percy grabs her up. “Silena, don’t run off like that!” He chides, but he kisses her cheek and sets her down. He then notices Nico and Will and smiles as wide as his daughter. “Hey!” He breathes out, no doubt exhausted from his mini chase. Will and Nico both greet him back. “Wow, we haven’t seen you guys in forever.” Will points out, gesturing to the toddler. Percy sits down across from them, keeping a hand on Silena’s shoulder before she can run away again. “Yeah, I guess so,” He chuckles. He moves Silena to his knee. “Silena, this is your uncle Nico and uncle Will.”

Initially, Nico wants to argue. That was not what Silena would call him. His eyebrows get a slight furrow that Will knows all too well. That’s his signal to stop him, so he touches his hand ever so gently. Nico’s face relaxes and he intertwines their fingers, but not before he curses Will for knowing him so well.

Silena waves a chubby little hand. Will smiles. “Nice to meet you, Silena,” He coos. Last time they’d seen Silena, or Percy and Annabeth for that matter, was when Silena was a brand-new baby. Nico and Will were brand-new adults. They hadn’t even left camp yet. Will took to holding her quickly and smoothly. Nico remembers being terrified to hold her even as Annabeth and Percy insisted he could and nothing bad would happen. The memory of her peaceful baby face was a stark contrast between her happy toddler face.

Annabeth makes it to their table finally. Nico knew they were expecting a second, but it’s still surprising to see her heavily pregnant. She sits next to Percy with a big smile as well. “Hi!” She has the same exhausted tone as Percy. Silena wiggles away from Percy to her mom. She puts her head against Annabeth’s belly. “There’s a baby inside,” She tells Nico and Will.

They smile at her. “Are you excited to be a big sister?” Will asks. She nods, her pigtails bobbing wildly. “Are you a big brother?” Will’s face brightens. He points to the Apollo table. “See all the people over there? Those are all my little brothers and sisters.” Silena looks like her mind is exploding. Annabeth smiles at her daughter. “How are you guys doing?” She asks. They both mumble something along the lines of good. “We have an apartment now. In the city.” Nico says. “How is that? Mom and Paul moved into a house recently. Think that’s better for all of them.”

“It’s pretty- it’s pretty okay.” Will taps his fingers against the table. Nico glances at him. “Oh, we hate it. But it’s still really exciting.” They chuckle. Silena climbs back on to Percy’s legs. She leans across the table to her newly adopted uncles. “Do you know how babies are born?” She’s trying to whisper, but it’s loud and harsh. They nod. “I delivered a baby once,” Will tells her and again, she’s stunned. Nico looks at Will, all smiley and easily talking to Silena, and thinks about how much he loves him.

It’s a lot harder to work with older kids than Nico thought.

Nico knows he grew up in the second world war, and then in a hotel where time wasn’t real, but he could be solidly entertained by Mythomagic for hours at their age. “Percy had you guys last, right? What did he do with you guys?” A son of Demeter spoke up. “He just talked to us.”

Nico tilts his head. “About what?” He shrugged. “Just about whatever. He told us about himself, his adventures.” Gods, Nico couldn’t talk about his ‘adventures’. He was surprised Percy could. A different kid started talking, a girl. “Who’s your godly parent? Percy told us about Poseidon and showed us some of his tricks.”

Nico went quiet for a few seconds. “My dad is Hades.” A couple of kids gasped, most of them just went wide-eyed. “He’s not that bad. I have two sisters, you know. Well, Hazel is a roman kid, daughter of Pluto. She’s super sweet. Do they tell you guys Hades is bad here?” They slowly shake their heads. Nico shrugs. "Good. I guess you just assume that huh? It’s okay, I think I would too. Between us, Thanatos is the bad one. He’s a dick.” That comment gets a few soft giggles.

“Percy told you about his adventures, yeah? I’ve had a few of my own.” Nico realizes that little kids need nurturing. They need to be taught about the world, told that the dragons they see aren’t necessarily evil. Older kids need to be taught about their world. There was no one to sit with him as a kid to tell him about being a demigod. There wasn’t anyone for him to just talk to. Older kids might be harder to entertain, but they’re easier to connect with.

Nico tells them about growing up in Italy. He asks if they know about the Lotus Hotel. Only one does. Of course, he’s an Athena camper. He tells the group. “Well, after Zeus, uh, took my mom away, my sister and I went there. We were there for like a week, except it wasn’t a week. It was 70 years.” The gasps then aren’t small. Nico laughs.

He goes on about anything he can think about. He tells them about the Underworld, Hazel, Camp Jupiter, the wars. He answers questions in between. They all laugh when he tells them about getting turned into corn, and even harder when he tells them about becoming a dandelion.

“Wow, I thought my stepmom was bad!” One kid giggles.

Eventually, Nico runs out of stories he can make light-hearted. “So, yeah. That’s what I got. How do I compare to Percy?” It’s a chorus of kids telling him he’s cooler, funnier, anything. Nico chuckles mischievously. “Oh man, is he gonna be mad when I tell him you guys said that.”

After a minute, one kid shifts. “You said Zeus took your mom?” Nico straightens some. “Yeah, he did. He was trying to, uh…” He twists his ring. “He was trying to kill me and Bianca. Because we’re children of Hades. He thought we were evil.”

“But you helped win the wars! And Bianca sacrificed herself to save everyone else. That’s not evil.” One kid says. She’s about ten. “Yeah, but weren’t you guys nervous that I was bad at first?” The kids are quiet, pensive. The first kid starts talking again. “I lost my mom, too.” She’s quiet. Nico wonders who her dad is if she doesn’t have an older sibling here. “A lot of us have. I’m sorry to hear that.”

Slowly, more kids start talking about relatives who have died. A few of them also lost a parent. Some of them lost a grandparent they were close to. Nico thinks of Piper. She didn’t talk about her Grandpa Tom a lot, but enough for everyone to know about him. The kids share their experiences, their feelings. Nico thinks about Bianca for a while. So many demigods have lost people, but there was no organized discussion for them to talk about it. He'd have to take that up with Chiron.

Later on, all the kids are called to play a game. Will has to participate, not that he's upset. But now Nico is alone with nothing to do. He sits on the porch of the Big House, soaking in the warmth of camp. If he closed his eyes he could almost feel like a teenager again, calm and at home.

He gets too wrapped up in it and doesn’t notice the child approaching him until she harshly pokes his side.

His eyes snap open. “Ow! Oh, hi, Silena.” He sits up. He forgets little kids don’t know their strength. “Where’s your mom?” Selena points out in front of them. Annabeth is only a few feet away. Nico realizes Silena must have taken off again and Annabeth is in no shape to be chasing after her. “Silena, be gentle!” She upbraids. Nico waves her off. “She’s fine, I just didn’t expect her.” He looks at her and pokes her in her ribs, much lighter. She giggles.

Annabeth picks Silena up. “Sorry about her. You okay?” Nico nods. “Really, Annabeth it’s fine.” He stands up. “What’re you up to?” Annabeth gestures out. “Waiting on Percy. We’re gonna leave once he’s done with the game. Someone needs an early bedtime after missing their afternoon nap.” She kisses Silena’s cheek. She squirms out of her mother’s arms. She dashes off, running around the wrap-around porch. “Well, mind if we join you?”

Nico and Annabeth sit together for a while, catching up. She talks about New Rome and Nico shows off his new tattoo. It’s a patchy sun on his wrist and he’s fully aware that it’s shitty. “That’s kinda why I like it, y'know? Will has a matching one.” Annabeth smiles. “You guys have to stay together now.” Nico laughs. “After almost eight years he better not be going anywhere.”

Annabeth talks about the baby some. “It’s funny, at this age I expected to be having my first. Younger me would lose it if she found out not everything followed her exact plan.” Nico thinks briefly about his younger self. He didn’t have a plan. If you talked to that edgy 14-year-old about the future, he would’ve said he expected to be dead before 17. Thank the gods for antidepressants, he thinks. He still doesn't have a plan, however.

Nico points to Annabeth’s belly. “Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?” Annabeth rubs the bump. “No, I can’t bring myself to find out yet. I want it to be a surprise, but…” She sighs. “I found out Silena’s sex before I had her because Percy and I couldn’t agree on a boy’s name. Like, we were actually arguing about it. I didn’t wanna be doing that for no reason.” Nico’s surprised to hear that.

“You and Percy arguing? Never heard of it.” Annabeth rolls her eyes. “We do, just not a lot. But we just really couldn’t agree.” Nico twists the ring around his thumb. “What’re the options?” Annabeth’s voice gets an uncomfortable edge. “I want Luke, Percy wants Jason.” Nico’s hands still. He whispers ‘oh’.

She shifts. “Yeah, so… I’m kinda hoping for another girl.” Nico has questions, but she doesn’t want to talk about it, so he doesn’t ask. He thinks about naming your kid after someone you lost. Silena was a hero who deserved to be honored in that way. Luke was a hero, too, except Nico isn’t sure if he’s the type of hero you’d name a child after. He doesn’t think he could put himself through the pain of naming his kid Jason. It would feel too much like a replacement. It wouldn’t be fair to the child, either. He wouldn’t know Jason or why he was so great.

Nico needs someone to say something, but he can’t process any thoughts. Thankfully Annabeth suddenly lights up. She smiles and grabs Nico’s hand. “The baby’s kicking. Feel.” She lays his hand gently on her stomach. He feels a small movement. Pregnancy has always seemed super weird to him, but right now it seems magical.

“Woah,” He unintentionally whispers. Annabeth watches his face split into a grin. “That’s amazing,” He tells her, taking his hand back. She nods enthusiastically. “Isn’t it? Gods, that’s what makes pregnancy worth it.” She laughs a little. “Silena gets so excited. She’s gonna be a great big sister.” She smiles softly, rubbing her belly.

A comfortable silence settles in for a few minutes.

Annabeth yawns. “I’m gonna need an early bedtime, too, at this rate. Ah, I need to go track her down-” Before she can move, Nico stands up. “I’ll go find her.” Annabeth wavers for a second, then nods. “Thank you, Nico.”

Silena is nearing the strawberry fields. Nico jogs to get to her. She looks up at him curiously. She mostly looks like Annabeth in the face, he deciphers. Her eyes are unmistakably Percy's. “Hi, uncle Nico!” She beams. Nico holds out his hand. “Time to come back to your mom, Silena.” She starts to reach her hand out to his, then jumps a little and reaches both arms out. “Up!”

Nico sighs as he bends down. “You’re lucky you’re cute.” She wraps her legs around his middle and giggles happily. He carries her back to Annabeth. She’s not surprised Silena would ask to be picked up, she usually does. She’s surprised, and endeared, to find that Nico gave in. She takes her daughter and sets her on her lap.

“My goodness, dear,” She starts taking down Silena’s pigtails. “How did you manage to get leaves in your hair?”

After Annabeth fixes her hair, she lets her down. “Stay where I can see you, okay?” She gives her forehead a quick kiss and watches her scurry away. “She’s real cute. You guys did a good job on her.” Nico says. That earns a loud laugh from Annabeth. “Thanks. I’m sure you’d have a cute kid, too.”

Nico glances down to his hands. “I don’t know about that.” Annabeth turns her head to him. “Don’t know about having a kid? Or if the kid would be cute?” Nico looks at her very seriously. “Oh, no, my kid would be downright adorable.” They laugh.

“No, I’m not sure about a kid.” He explains. Annabeth nods. “That makes sense. You’re still pretty young.” Nico shrugs. “Yeah, I guess. I just really haven’t thought about it.” Annabeth keeps a steady eye on Silena. “Has Will-?”

“No,” Nico answers so fast he shocks himself. He’s not sure he’s even fully registered the question. Will hasn’t thought about kids, though.  
Right?

Nico’s suddenly very unsure. A feeling of anxiety floods his chest. Will would be the one to think about it between them. But he would tell Nico if he did think about it, wouldn’t he? His fingers quickly go to his ring to fidget with it. He’s glad Annabeth isn’t looking at him because he knows he visibly looks perturbed.

“Well, I think you guys would be good dads. He’s patient, even-tempered. And you’re like, really good at talking to kids, Nico.” His head snaps to her. “What? No, I’m not.” Annabeth smiles, finally looking at him. “You so are. I saw you with both of your groups earlier. They were having so much fun.” He supposes she has a point, but then he thinks back to lunch when Will was able to talk one-on-one with Silena. “Thanks, but I-”

“Shush.” Annabeth smiles. “At the very least you can admit you’re better than you used to be. I thought you were gonna cry when you met Silena as a baby.” She chortles at the memory. By the time she was in his arms, he looked on the edge of a breakdown. It was sort of precious when she thought about it.

Nico thinks about telling her that he did cry once they left. He yelled defensively at Will that a human shouldn’t have toes that small. He knows she’d tease him, though, so he doesn’t.

“Will is right, you don’t give yourself enough credit.”

Nico makes a mental note to yell defensively again at Will in the car.

It’s another half hour before Percy makes his way to the big house. He helps Annabeth up. “Sorry I took so long. But I already have the car all packed up, so we can just buckle Silena up and go.” She smiles gratefully before wincing. Percy gets a concerned look. “Your back?” She nods. He steps behind her and presses on her pressure points. “I’m sorry. We’ll be back at mom’s soon.” He kisses her cheek. Annabeth looks at Nico and smiles. She mouths, “I’m faking,” and it takes everything in Nico not to laugh.

“We’re in town until Wednesday, maybe we could get dinner with you and Will sometime?” Annabeth suggests. Nico shakes his head. “Will and I are leaving for Texas tomorrow to visit Naomi.” She smiles. “Oh! Well, that’ll be nice. We’ll try to do something together another time then.” Nico nods and hugs her goodbye, minding her baby bump. Silena runs up to Nico and attacks him in a hug. He smiles. “I’ll miss you, Selena. Come and visit me sometime, ‘kay?” She nods somberly. Nico plans on just saying bye to Percy, but he’s Percy, so he gets grabbed into an overly tight hug.

“Thanks, Perce,” He groans as he’s let go. “Oh, and, uh, happy Father’s Day.” Percy looks surprised to hear that. He gets this stupid big grin and pinches Nico’s cheek. “I do suppose I’m somewhat of a father figure.” Nico rolls his eyes. “Bye, Percy,”

Nico watches them go to the camp borders. Annabeth and Percy both hold Silena’s hands. They both look at her so lovingly, then at each other. They’re all smiles, all love. Maybe Nico does want kids. Maybe he wants that to be him and Will one day. Maybe Will wants that to be them one day.

“Bye, sport! Love ya!” Percy calls over his shoulder. Nico doesn’t even mind.

At dinner, Will can tell something is on Nico’s mind. He wants to ask, but sometimes that makes him more unwilling to talk about it. Based on experience, he also knows Nico doesn’t like to talk about stuff if public. He decides to wait until they’re in the car to ask.

“What’d you do while you waited for me?” Will asks.

Nico hurriedly swallows his bite of pizza. “I sat and talked to Annabeth. Mostly about, like, kids and stuff.” Wills nods.

“How was the game? Who won?” Will rolls his eyes. “The Hermes Cabin. It would’ve been Tyche but Connor and Travis totally cheated.” Will shoves food in his mouth because otherwise, he’ll get angry. Nico is amused by his immaturity. “What else is new?”

Nico looks a little less tense at the campfire. They hold hands while they sing songs together. There’s a bittersweet feeling to it. Will feels like a teenager again just goofing off at camp with Nico but he also feels so much older seeing the next generation of campers.

It didn’t feel right to Will to see all the Apollo campers - his siblings. When he was little he got to know all of his brothers. Lee and Michael were his role-models and the only comfort he took in camp when he first arrived. Then Austin came around, then Kayla. Then they lost Lee. Michael became cabin counselor. They lost him too shortly after. Before Will knew it he was the counselor of their cabin and only had Austin and Kayla. They needed him to keep it together, to be their strength, to be the big brother. He's forever glad he has them but being in that position dramatically heightened his pre-existing anxiety.

These other kids… They were his siblings just the same, but strangers, too. That was uncomfortable. He still found spending time with them cool. He felt like the estranged brother he was. He hopes that if they aren't attached to him it won't mean anything if something happens to him. It's dark, but he doesn't want them to have to feel like he did. Regardless of their closeness, he's better than Apollo.

Will yawns. He’s getting too lost in thought and exhausting himself more. He needs to be awake enough to manage the drive home. He knows he’ll be borderline delirious when they get up for their flight tomorrow, but he can rest on the plane.

He puts his head on Nico’s shoulder and closes his eyes. It’s barely a minute before Nico squeezes his hand and shrugs his shoulder. When Will opens his eyes there’s a young girl in front of them. Nico’s eyes are intensely focused on her. She looks nervous.

“What’s up, sweetie?” Nico asks. His voice is soft. Will realizes she was probably in one of Nico’s groups earlier in the day. She opens her mouth, then quickly shuts it. Her eyes apprehensively dart to Will. Nico raises his eyebrows.

“Oh, this is Will, my boyfriend. Will, this is Abby, she was in my second group today.” Nico made a point to learn her name after their group. She looks a little more ready to talk now that she’s been introduced.

She shifts. “I… wanted to say thank you. For, uh, talking to me earlier. It made me feel better.” Nico nodded. “Of course. You shouldn’t have to just carry that around. Thank you for sharing, you helped the other kids, too.” She smiles a little. Nico stands up. “You do hugs?” He outstretches his arms.

Will’s heart flutters seeing Nico hug her so comfortingly.

As sweet as the scene was, afterward Nico gets that tense aura again. He can't stop thinking about Abby. She's probably so lonely.

“Ughhh, Nicooo, I’m so tired,” Will whines as they walk to their car. Nico smiles when he normally would have laughed. “Give me the keys, then, goof. I’ll drive home.” Will ecstatically does just that, along with a big smooch to Nico’s cheek. He gets swatted away.

Will laughs. “Thank youuu, you’re the best.” Nico rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I know.”

Nico’s biting his lip pretty hard while he drives. That’s what he did if his ring wasn’t available. Whatever he’s thinking about must be pretty serious, Will thinks. “Unclench your jaw.”

“What?” Nico glances at Will for a split second.

“Unclench your jaw. You’re biting hard.”

Nico sighs and does as he’s told. His jaw does hurt, Will was right. He usually is. He reads Nico too well.

“What’re you thinking about, love?” Will asks, taking one of Nico’s hands from the steering wheel. Nico gives in quickly with that.

“Do you want kids?”

“What?” Will straightens.

“Do you,” Nico exhales, “Do you want kids? Do you wanna be a dad one day?”

“I- Where is this coming from?”

“I’ll tell you once you answer.” There's an accidental sharpness to that. Will’s too stunned to make his mouth move. Nico’s expression relaxes some. “Sorry, I’m sorry. Here - have you thought about having kids?”

Will’s heart is racing. “Yeah.” He manages to whisper.

Nico takes a deep breath. “I thought about it for the first time today. Annabeth kinda made me? She asked if we had thought about it. I- I haven’t Will, and I wasn't sure if you had. You'd be a really good dad. I don't think I would be. It seems so terrifying. Especially as demigods? That- Gods, I can't even think about it. And- and their tiny-ass toes, Will!”

“Woah, Nico!” Will stops him. “Calm down. It’s okay.” Nico takes a shaky breath and nods. They both take a minute to relax their nerves and collect their thoughts. Nico keeps Will’s hand in his own for the both of them. He blinks rapidly to prevent tears.

Nico clears his throat to make sure he can find his voice. “I imagined us with a kid, a little family, all cute and stuff. I kinda like it? But that doesn’t have to mean anything, y’know? This is the first time I’ve actually thought about it, in a serious context. That's just what I imagine. It wouldn't be like that. We're just... not normal.” His fingers twitch in Will's. "Please just tell me what you think."

Will kisses Nico’s hand. “I don’t want kids, Nico.”

An exhale leaves Nico, then a few tears. “Dammit,” He mumbles. Will’s chest fills with dread when he thinks he said the wrong thing. Nico takes his hand back and then Will’s positive that he said the wrong thing. Nico just wipes his eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” He laughs. Will smiles weakly, just enough to realize he’s misty-eyed too.

“It’s the toes. They’re too small.” They both laugh, stronger.

Will’s still nervous. “But… you’re okay, right? You’re okay with not being a dad?” Nico takes a painful note of how fragile Will’s voice is. He nods confidently. “Yeah, yeah. I am.” He swallows thickly. “Anxious tears, I promise.” Will looks at him closely. He's mostly dry-eyed now. He believes him.

Several minutes of silence pass. “Damn, I forgot to text Steve,” Will mutters. “Are you even supposed to say happy Father’s Day to stepdads?” Nico wonders out loud. “You’ll see him tomorrow, it’ll be fine. But Steve isn’t even like a dad to you. Why would you say it to him if you don’t say it to Apollo?”

Will laughs. “I can’t exactly just call Apollo. Nor can I pop down to the Underworld. Which you didn’t even do.” Nico scoffs. “Hades doesn’t care. I’m surprised Apollo didn’t make an appearance; he’s such an attention whore.”

“And a regular whore. There are so many of us now he could be completely and utterly showered in compliments and appreciation.”

“Hopefully his dumbass isn’t in another Dumpster,” Nico says dryly. Will laughs again, though, so Nico does then too.

Simultaneously, they both think about how much they love each other, and how lucky they are.

It usually frustrates Nico when people use the Underworld and Hell synonymously. It usually frustrates Nico when, by the same logic, Hades and Satan become one. But right now, the phrase speak of the devil is the only thing that he finds appropriate.

“Dad? What-?” Nico whips his head around. He’s most certainly in the Underworld. “Dammit, Dad, you can just drag me down here in my dreams every time you’re mad at me!” He shouts to the air.

“Oh, my mistake,” Hades materializes in front of him, arms crossed. “I just thought Father’s Day would be about spending time with your father.” He huffs.

Exasperated, Nico groans. “You’re joking.”


	2. Infirmary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Included some Kayla content because I am a sucker for big brother Will. Enjoy loves x

Nico sat on the steps of his cabin, shuffling his Mythomagic cards. He didn’t play anymore, he mostly just used them to fidget with. When he was anxious he’d sort them into as many categories as he could, then shuffle them back up and sort them out again. Will had taught him that as a coping skill. Nico had seen him take apart the whole infirmary and put it all back in a fit of panic.

Nico wasn’t anxious, though. He was just bored and restless.

Will ran up to him. “There you are! Kayla’s supposed to be teaching archery today. She said she’s not gonna wait any longer, are you coming?” He was a little breathless. Nico looked up and squinted to block the sun out. He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

Will pouted. “Why not?” He sat down next to Nico. Nico rolled his shoulders. “My back just really hurts today.” Will noticed that he was sitting oddly straight. He frowned. “Are you okay?” Nico nodded. “Yeah. I’m used to it, it’s just worse today.”

That was news to Will. “I’m sorry, you’re used to it?” Nico quirked his eyebrow. “Yeah? I’ve had chronic back pain since I was, like, 12.” Will sputtered. “And you never told me?!” Nico laughed.

“I’m fine, I promise. I think I might just lay down for a little bit, I’m kinda tired.” As if on cue, he yawned. That was no consolation to Will. “Do you want me to bring you anything? Water, Advil?” Nico shook his head again. “I’ll let you know if I need anything, okay?” Admittedly, Nico thought it was cute when Will wanted to take care of him. But he didn't need it.

Reluctantly, Will nodded. “Fine. But you’re not off the hook, okay? I’m making you come into the infirmary tomorrow for an exam.” Nico rolled his eyes. “Yes, Dr. Solace.” That made Will smile the smallest amount. “Thank you for your compliance.”

Distant shouts were heard. Will groaned. Nico angled himself toward Will. “ _You_ have an archery appointment. Tell Kayla I’m sorry and that I’ll make it next week, okay?” He kissed his cheek. Will’s shoulders sagged. “I don’t wanna leave you if you don’t feel well.” He mumbled.

“I’ll be okay. You need the lesson more than I do, anyway.” Will scoffed and flicked Nico’s knee. “I’m gonna come back to check on you later, okay?” Nico nodded. "Just go, you dork," Will kissed him goodbye and dashed off to his sister.

Nico was exhausted the next morning.

“I just couldn’t get comfortable is all. I’m fine.” He yawned when Will asked. He wasn’t convinced. “Was it your back still?” He asked. Nico shook his head. He knew he shouldn’t lie, especially to Will, but he didn’t want him to be more worried than he already was. Nico honestly _was_ used to it.

Will squeezed his hand. “Maybe you can try to lay down after breakfast. I can talk to Chiron.” Though the thought was endearing, Nico told him not to worry about it. “I’ll just take it easy today, okay? I’ll be alright.” Will wanted to argue, but Nico didn't seem like he would be able to argue back, and that wouldn't be fair.

“Okay.”

Nico followed Will around the whole day. He had gained energy by the time Will had a break long enough for a check-up.

“Okay,” Will pulled the curtain closed for some privacy, “You said you’ve had back pain since you were 12?” Nico nodded. “On and off. Sometimes it’s worse than other times.” Will wrote something down. Nico didn’t like being in the infirmary overall, especially when he first committed to staying at Camp Half-Blood, but it was worse when he had an overbearing healer boyfriend. Will went into serious medic mode in the infirmary.

“What position do you sleep in?”

“I guess mostly on my stomach, w-”

“Must be nice,” They heard Kayla from the other side.

Will scowled at the curtain. “She’s still mad about yesterday.” He mumbled to Nico. “Professionalism, Kayla!” He called over his shoulder. He turned back to Nico. “Sleeping-”

Kayla barged in. “Says the one who couldn’t make it to archery on time.” She stuck her tongue out. Will sighed as she walked to the cabinet. "Sleeping on your stomach is actually the worst for your back, so for starters, I’d suggest sleeping on your back.” Nico nodded. Will opened his mouth to continue but was yet again interrupted by his sister rummaging through the closet loudly. He glared at her.

“What?” She snapped. “I’m getting bandages.”

He rolled his eyes. “Kayla-”

Nico stopped him. “Professionalism, _Will_ ,” Kayla snickered. Will let it go. He knew Nico wasn’t being serious, but he had a point. 

He bounced his pen against his clipboard. “Do you… know if Bianca ever had any issues with her back?” Kayla stopped her obnoxious searching. She planned on taking her leave depending on how Nico answered. Thankfully, his voice was stable, if not a little sad.

He shook his head. “Not that I can remember.” He twisted his ring. “I don’t really remember mom, but I don’t think she did, either.” Will appreciated him trying to dig up those memories. He was glad he didn’t trigger any upset, too. He wrote that down.

He stood up. “Sit up as straight as possible please,” Nico did as asked. Kayla had taken to watching her brother. She leaned against the cabinet with the bandages in hand. Will put a hand on either of Nico’s shoulders. His eyebrows furrowed, then he backed up. His face twisted in thought. Nico glanced at Kayla who just shrugged.

“Okay,” Will said at last, “Stand up.” Nico did. Will stepped to the side of him. “Bend over-”

“That’s my cue to go!” Kayla exclaimed. That earned a dirty look from Will. “ _Kayla_!”

She held up her hands defensively. “Hey, I support you guys completely, I have two dads. Just sayin’, I don’t need to be here.” She shrugged. She only said that to harass Will, though, because she doesn’t leave.

Will sighs, exasperated. “Reach down as far as you can.” Nico looked confused, but he did so. Will was momentarily surprised when he didn't bend down very far. Then he realized that it only further supported his theory. “I’m gonna pull your shirt up some, okay?”

Kayla cocked her head before she pieced it together. “Oh!” She whispered. Nico just felt more confused. A cool finger ran down his spine and startled him. Will traced his spine twice before he told Nico he could stand back up.

Nico rolled his shoulders. “So what’s the verdict, Solace?” He looked over to Kayla, who seemed just a little too enthusiastic. Will grabbed his clipboard and wrote something down. “You have scoliosis.” He states.

Nico ignored Kayla’s fist pump. “That means…?”

Will turned and grabbed a medical book off the desk. “It means your spine is jacked,” Kayla said. Will huffed a laugh. “I mean, basically,” He flipped to a page in the book. “It’s when your spine is crooked.” He held it out to Nico. “I’m not permitted to give x-rays, so I can’t show you what yours looks like,” Will pointed to the x-rays in this book, “But this is what a spine with scoliosis looks like. You can see there are varying degrees.” Nico nodded as he studied the page.

“Well how bad is mine?” He handed the book back to Will. “Not that bad, but bad enough for me to recommend a brace.”

“Haha! Yeah!” Kayla stopped trying to contain her excitement. Nico turned to her with a look of bewilderment.

“Oh,” She chuckled, “I need a brace, too.” She lifted her shirt a bit. “See?” She tapped the firm material. “We can be brace buds, Nico!” She cheered. Nico’s shoulders went slack. “Oh, yay,” Will laughed silently. “You’ll be okay, Neeks,” He kissed his temple.

They both sat back down. “Scoliosis is, like, super common,” Kayla said. Will nodded. “It usually develops during the growth spurt you have right when you start going through puberty. Normally it’s not bad in those cases, but I think, ah, situational causes worsened yours.” Nico was told before that his growth was a small degree stunted so he isn't surprised.

A thought dawned upon Nico. He turned to Will. “So you’re saying,” He smiled, “That even my spine is gay?”

Will and Nico sat together by the Hades cabin that night before they were forced to turn in. “Chiron said he’d work on getting you a brace. Did Kayla answer all your questions?” Nico nodded. “Yeah. I can’t believe I’m gonna have to wear it to _sleep_.” He groaned. Will smiled. He reached his arm around Nico’s shoulders and pulled him close. “You’ll be fine, sunshine,”

“Yeah, I know,” He had begun twisting his ring. “Kayla said she’s been wearing hers for three years.” Will hummed in acknowledgment. She had told Nico that she needed a brace young because she was born with her scoliosis and it got a head start on fixing it. She also said she only sometimes wore it during the day, that wearing it at night was enough for her. Nico felt better with a so-called ‘brace bud’ to inform him. It was also majorly assuring that he could wear it under shirts without it being obvious.

Kayla had wiggled a little. “See? You can only kinda tell it’s there. But it might be too abrasive on your skin so you could also wear it on the outside. No shame in being in the brace gang.” Nico found it sort of sweet that she was so excited over his ailment. He made sure to tell her that he appreciated her wisdom.

That reminded Nico - “Hey, Will?” He looked up at his boyfriend. “Hm?” Nico continued to play with his ring. “You know… Kayla was only annoying you today because she wants you to spend time with her.”

Will nearly laughed. “What?” Nico looked down. “I’m serious, Will. You should try to have one-on-one time with her.”

Will was silent for several seconds. “Yeah, okay.”

Nico buried his head into Will. He felt Will kiss his head. They stayed like that together until they were forced to go to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by a bitch with scoliosis whose back h u r t s


	3. Fantasy AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The very first bit is based off a test post that I love and adore. Also, it is 6 am as I write this, so the chapter isn't edited. I'm sorry for any mistakes Grammarly didn't catch.

Nico walked into the apothecary shop. The time had come for his monthly trip again. The bell above the door jingled delightfully. He always liked the shop's atmosphere: welcoming, homey, warm.

"Oh, wise sage," He started once he got to the counter, "Please provide me with what I need to expel the darkness from my mind."

A brown paper bag was placed on the counter. "Here are your antidepressants, Nico," Of course, the cute blonde who worked there also helped the atmosphere.

Nico handed him a few drachmas. "No curse of mine shall befall you, even in death," He took the bag. The blonde smiled. "Thank you."

"Hazel," Nico called once he entered their shared cottage, "I'm home!"

His sister came out a few seconds later. "Hello there!" She spun out into the living room. She was in her work uniform, big witch hat included. She waved her arms to flap the chevron batwing sleeves. Nico smiled.

"Someone's in a good mood," He observed, walking to the kitchen to put his medicine up. Hazel slid on the floor in her socks. "I could say the same about yourself." She pushed herself onto the counter. "Was it that boy again?"

Nico can feel his face get warm. "I'm not in a good mood!" Hazel gave him a doubtful look. "Or, I mean, I am, but not like an especially good mood!" He crossed his arms. Hazel laughed. "So it was him?"

"... Yeah."

Hazel jumped off the counter. "Ask him out!" She danced and her skirt swayed. "Do it!" She poked his ribs with both words. "Ask him out so you can move out of my house!" Nico gaped. "How are those things related?!"

His sister grabbed his hands. "Because," She pulled him to the middle of the room. "If you get a boyfriend you can move out of my house! Into his! Duh!" She tugged on Nico's arms to make him dance. "He's an apothecary, I'm sure he's got money." Nico rolled his eyes. "Well if you won't ask him out, at the very least dance with me!"

Nico did. He gave into every pull and twist. He didn't particularly feel like dancing, but he did it to see her happy. He also did it because he thought he owed it to her; he was living in her house rent-free. She insisted it didn't bother her, that that's what siblings were for. Nico wasn't convinced.

After their mini-dance party, Nico commented on her outfit. "I didn't know you worked today." Hazel looked down. "Oh, yeah. Piper didn't wanna close alone." Nico frowned. "I don't blame her!" She quickly defended her coworker. "We get some creeps at night."

"I know, but it was supposed to be your day off!" Nico complained.

Hazel shrugged. "It happens. I'm not upset, so you don't need to be either, okay?" Begrudgingly, her brother nodded. "You're getting paid, though, right?"

"Yes, sir," She kissed his cheek then rubbed off the smear of black. "Hold down the fort while I'm gone."

Will was organizing shelves in the back when he heard the bell ring. "I'll be with you in just a minute!" He called. He gently put down the box he was holding and walked through the beaded curtains. "How can I- oh." He lost his customer-friendly exterior. His siblings, Austin and Kayla, were roaming the shop.

Austin waved. "We're totally here to buy stuff," He pointed to Kayla who was intensely staring down the lotions. "Definitely not here to harass you." She mumbled. Will rolled his eyes. "You're paying for everything you touch, Kayla," The girl groaned.

Austin leaned against the counter. "She will get something, I promise. That was a part of the agreement." Kayla waved him off. "I only made that agreement because that boy was here." Will stood up straight. Austin scrunched his eyebrows. "Boy? What boy?" Will was about to tell him that it wasn't anyone, but Kayla beat him to it.

"There's this boy," She faced her brothers, "That comes here once every month. Y'know, because prescriptions," Austin nodded. "But Will is completely head-over-heels for him." Austin turned to Will. He would have denied Kayla's claims if he could have found his voice. She pointed at his face. "You know I'm telling the truth because he's bright red."

Will turned away. "Shut up! I'm not 'head-over-heels' - he's just cute!" His brother slapped his hand onto the counter. "Oh! Is he the, um, the funny one? Yeah, your mom mentioned him." Will whipped back around. " _What_? My _mother_ has told you about this? When would she even talk to you?!"

Kayla laughed deviously. Austin shot her a look. "Okay, Hyde, chill." He looked back at Will and shrugged. "Sometimes we stop by and you're not there. You should really spend more time at home, Will. She wouldn't invite us in and share your secrets if you kept her company." Kayla nodded. "A kind soul, but a lonely one." She pulled a jar off the shelf. "This one says 'infused for freshness', what's that mean?"

Will held his hand out. "I'm gonna start talking _your_ moms, see how you like it then," He grumbled. Kayla handed him the jar. "I don't have a mom." Will sneered. "I'll talk to your dad, then, whatever," He started reading the label.

Kayla laughed. "Nah, dad's lips are _sealed_. We're tight. If anything he'll just milk you for more information." Austin pointed to her. "Fact." Will ignored them both. "The freshness is the essential oils." He handed it back to her. "There's still Ms. Lake," Latricia and Noami were friends, so Will had been babysat by her a lot. Ms. Lake owned a little music shop which is how she met Will's mom. Neither Austin nor Will ever got clarification on whether this occurred before or after they each had a baby with the same man.

Austin laughed this time. "I don't tell momma anything. She'll try to get information on me from you." Will hung his head, defeated. "W-"

"What essential oils are in this?" Kayla asked. Will cocked his head. "Just read the ingredients." She went back to squinting at the jar.

Will sighed. "If you guys wanna be that nosy, you know can come talk to _me_ , right?" Austin opened his mouth to argue, but Kayla interrupted again. "What's it for?" She shook the jar. "What? It's hand cream, Kayla."

"No, I mean the oils!"

Austin started talking before he lost his chance again. "You won't tell us everything, though. Kayla said she only knew about your cute-boy because she aggressively stalks you." Kayla nodded. "He didn't know that. But yeah. What are the oils for?"

Will couldn't yet process the first part. "What oils are they?"

"Lemon and lavender."

"They're there for freshness, Kayla! Didn't you read the label?" Austin threw his hands up. "We're sorry for invading your personal life, Will. From now on, if you agree to talk to us more, we'll stop snooping." Kayla glanced at him. " _Snooping_ might be a little strong. And what is it with you and agreements today?"

Will pointed to the jar. "Hurry up and buy that so you can leave, please."

"Well answer my question! What're the oils for?"

He rubbed his face. "Lemon and lavender are, like, miracle oils. People swear by them for all sorts of stuff, okay? It says 'for freshness' so no one thinks it has preservatives." Kayla looked appalled. "Why would you even put preservatives in lotion?!"

"To preserve it, Kayla. Please just buy it, I don't wanna lose my apprenticeship because you don't know how to act."

Austin put down a few drachmas. "You should ask him out the next time you see him!" He suggested, then dragged Kayla out as she whined about Will's customer service.

Yeah, Will thought once they left, because 'here are your antidepressants' and 'do you want to get dinner' pair so well.

It was a full week later when Hazel found herself at the apothecary. Both Nico and Will had mostly put the other out of their mind. They usually did, until they had their monthly interaction and were re-infatuated.

Hazel just needed vitamins. She hadn't thought about the shop being the same place Nico went. She hadn't even thought about the cute blonde who worked there.

That was until she was buying the vitamins and she was face-to-face with the blonde. Her eyes quickly scanned the vitamins' label before she placed it on the counter. "Huh, lavender," She started. "Wonder what that does."

Will knew that was usually a cue to explain something. "Well, in these, I'd say it's just for color, possibly flavor. But it's generally for-"

"Anxiety, yeah. To relax nerves." Hazel nodded and kept strong eye contact. Will knew he had to deal with a lot of people regularly, but this was uncomfortable. "I know because it's in my brother's medicine. Actually, you might know him!" Hazel handed him the money. "His name's Nico, Nico di Angelo. He always talks about a cute blonde who works here."

Will felt his cheeks go red. "Hm, wouldn't it be funny if you were that blonde?" Hazel took the vitamins. She glanced down at his shirt. "Too bad you don't wear name tags here."

"Will. Ah - that's my name." He found himself saying, though no question was asked.

Hazel smiled. "I'll let him know. Well, have a good day!" She left the apothecary. Will wondered what just happened.

Nico shadowed Hazel at work later in the week. At midday, he was sent out to pick up lunch.

He tried to plan his route to avoid walking by the apothecary. Once Hazel had told him about her exchange with the handsome stranger - Will - he wanted to never show his face there again. But, maybe due to fate, he couldn't get around the shop.

It was nearly time for Will's break when he happened to notice Nico outside. His heart leaped in his chest as he leaped to the door. He couldn't let Nico get away, especially after his interaction with his sister. He wasn't even fully convinced it was his sister and not just some witch who was looking to befall her own curses upon him.

He pushed the door open in a panic and all-too suddenly for Nico. The bell made its signature noise. However, Nico yelped in pain. "Oh my gods!" Will yelled. Nico's hand was over his face securely. "Ow, fuck," He muttered.

"Shit, I'm so sorry!" Will was frantic. If Nico's nose hadn't been throbbing, he would have laughed. "It's fine! I'm okay." He slowly retracted a hand from his face. "Well," He exhaled. "A little bloody. But fine." He looked at Will. He looked much less fine. "Will...?"

Hearing his name made him snap back to reality. "Oh my gods," He whispered it this time. "It really was your sister, then not a witch." Nico tried to smile. He winced instead. "She could be both. Do you think I could get some help-?" 

Will gasped. "Oh! Yeah! Duh, gods, come inside!" He rushed Nico in.

Nico was glad to know that after assaulting a customer, Will was polite enough to let him use the staff bathroom. Will wasn't even worried about his apprenticeship. How could he be when he could have just broken Nico's nose?

"It's not broken," Nico tried to tell him. "Aren't you an apothecary? If you're managing my antidepressants I would like you to know when a nose is broken and when it is not." All Will absorbed from that was that Nico thought _he_ was the apothecary and, shamefully, that his sarcasm was adorable.

Nico walked out of the bathroom after getting cleaned up. He looked carefully at his nose and assessed that it would be only slightly bruised. Will was waiting on him, nervously chewing his nails. "I'm... okay, Will, you can calm down." Will exhaled. "Okay."

Nico wiped his hands on his legs awkwardly. "Do you have a way for me to make an Iris Message?" Will nodded quickly. "Oh, yeah, follow me!" He took him farther into the back. He even gave Nico a drachma to do it with.

Will returned to the front of the shop to wait. There he had proper time to panic. He knew, or at least thought, Nico found him cute. That would probably also mean he was some degree interested in him, which would mean Will just completely ruined any of his chances with him. Great.

Nico stepped out from the beaded curtain, but without first getting caught in them. Will gently removed a few strands from his hair. "Sorry, they're a pain in the ass." Nico smiled. "It's okay. Uh, thank you, for letting me use your bathroom, and for the drachma." Will nodded. "Yeah, of course! Um, I'm sorry for busting your face with the door."

"It's fine." Nico did sound like it was fine but Will wasn't sure. He didn't feel like it was okay.

He shuffled awkwardly. "So... your sister is a witch, huh?" He was surprised, and delighted, to hear Nico laugh.

"She's also a charlatan, so if you're hung up on anything she said, don't be."

Will's mind immediately goes to her saying that Nico thinks he's cute. "A witch and a charlatan? Isn't that contradictory?"

Nico nodded. "Basically. But it helps the whole charlatan thing. She alters reality momentarily for the client, making it genuinely convincing. And before you judge - she is my sister and you did just make my nose bleed."

Will crossed his arms and laughed. "Damn, okay. What about you? What do you do for work?"

"I'm an unpaid charlatan's assistant."

"Unemployed, then?"

"I'm training, I guess. I was shadowing today." Nico shrugged.

"Charlatan training."

"Shut up, _apprentice_." They both laughed.

"It's harder than you might think. But she's only doing it until she has enough to open her own store. Genuine magic there." Will nodded. "Can you tell the difference between charlatan magic and genuine?"

Nico smiled. "Of course I can. I bet I can even guess what she did to you." Will quirked an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

"Classic hard stare, unbroken eye contact. Gets into your thoughts fast and easy so you're easily manipulated into revealing something. Could be as simple as your name-" He stopped and gestured to Will. "-Or as dangerous as your street name."

An uncomfortable chill ran down Will's back. "Well, which is it? Real or charlatan?" Nico clicked his tongue. "I can't say. All I can tell you is don't blow either off. And don't listen to people who are both confirmed magic-user and a quack."

Will bit his lip. "Does that include being told someone thinks you're cute?"

Nico didn't hesitate. "Yes."

Will looked surprised. Nico smiled. "But it's your lucky day because she just happened to be telling the truth. I'm supposed to be getting lunch for the rest of the lot, care to join?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Found out writing this that the person is called the apothecary. Thanks, Ignis.


	4. Free Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an old WIP that I dug out of my trash folder. It's titled "Birthday" as it was supposed to be about Nico's birthday but I never got that far, so it's just morning fluff. I was busy today and needed a little break. Hope you enjoy :)

Nico woke up to blinding sunlight suddenly casting over his body. He scrunched up his face and rolled over, burying his head into his pillow. It was January, it should’ve been cold in his cabin, and he should’ve wanted to feel the sunlight, even if he’s not exactly fond of it. But it was always the ideal temperature, which honestly got annoying after a while. What was the point of seasons? Or just being pleasantly warmed up?

“It’s time to get up, sunshine!” Will’s cheery voice rang, and Nico had to smile to himself. The blonde was enough reason for him to get up, even if it probably was before 10 AM. But he pulled the blankets around him tighter, scooting to the non-sunbathed side of the bed. “You’re sunshine, not me,” He mumbled. Will flopped down on the bed next to him and wrapped his arms around Nico’s cocoon. 

His body tensed as Will nuzzled into his shoulder, his breath caressing his neck. Eventually, he felt a small kiss press to the back of his head. Completely flustered from all the affection, Nico huffed. It was nice to be alone with Will, and he savored every minute of it, he just got nervous when it was just the two of them. He could hold this boy’s hand all day around camp with confidence, but everything felt 10 times more intimate alone. 

“You’re  _ my  _ sunshine,” Will stated, a smile playing on his lips. It was true; while Will didn’t have depression, he had chronic anxiety that hung over him like a dark cloud some days. Nico was the sunbeam to break through and warm him. On the days he really struggled, Nico could at least make him smile, give him hope. 

Nico tried to fight off his smile, but it was useless. If anyone knew how to make him happy without trying, it was Will. He honestly was Nico’s sunshine. He could brighten his day with his smile, his awful puns, his overly thought out romantic plots. Gods, Will could walk into a room and Nico’s heart would flutter.

They lied there for a few minutes, just enjoying each other’s company. Nico’s eyes started to shut and his breathing evened out. His body relaxed against his bundle of blankets and Will. He hadn’t slept well the night before, he never did. He was pretty sure Will knew that considering he was always falling asleep if he sat down for more than ten minutes, and he always had low-energy. But they both ignored it. He wasn’t going to admit that the blonde’s presence made it easier to fall asleep.

Like Will knew that Nico was finally going to get some quality rest with someone he cared about dearly, he sat up and stretched. “I almost forgot why I came in here!” This time, Nico was not so happy to hear his sunny voice when waking up. He hoped maybe if he just stayed still Will would give up. He forced his breathing to steady again and thought hard about slipping back into a resting state.

No such luck.

Will got close to him again, resting his arm on the soft comforter that encased the shorter boy’s body. “Nico..” He sighed softly into his boyfriend’s ear, which made him shiver. Before he could properly react, Will pressed a kiss to his jaw. Nico jumped and made a squeaky noise.

He struggled to turn in his blankets, but he moved to face Will. His eyes were full of irritation, but Will chose to ignore it because sometimes it was hard to look past his eyes in general. They were dark brown, almost black in the shadows like they were now, but they seemed to sparkle the most luxurious upturned Earth color in the sunlight, to put it as poetically as possible because, let’s be honest, Nico deserved it. Will wondered if it was a Hades’ kids thing, considering Hazel had some striking eyes herself.

Now that Will had finally annoyed him into full consciousness, he should start giving him reasons to get out of bed and start the day. They had an agenda that consisted of more than training, working in the infirmary, and missing each other for once. But when the glare faded from Nico’s eyes, all he could do was study his face and think about how lucky he was.

Nico did the same. His lips turned up in the cute apprehensive way they always did, like he was nervous to fully smile. It was such a rare occurrence Will often wondered if he remembered how to be that comfortable with someone.

Time seemed to slow to Will once he realized Nico was leaning in. Something about it made him so happy, considering he was the one who normally initiated the physical affection. Nico had endless compliments and encouraging words, though, and he knew he’d never trade that for anything.

Will smiled against his lips and brought his hand to the back off his neck. They just lied next to each other, eyes closed, foreheads pressed against each other when their lips weren’t. Whatever Will had woken Nico up for was long forgotten, thankfully, because neither could imagine a better morning than this.

“ _ Ti adoro _ ,” Nico whispered, kissing Will softly. The words were like music, and he was glad to have finally picked up on some of the Italian terms. Now he at least could tell if he was being insulted. 

Truthfully, though, he wished he was fluent in more than English and Greek because if everyone else understands, it’s not as romantic (plus he thought it was just generally pretty damn attractive when Nico spoke Italian). And, not that he’d ever trade godly parents, he was a little jealous that French came as easy to the Aphrodite campers as Greek did to everyone else. 

No matter the other thoughts going on in his head, the words still ran through his mind, making him smile even more, making his cheeks and ears just a little warm.  _ I adore you _ . 

Nico sighed contentedly, and that made Will sigh inwardly because they really did need to get up. He was starting to wonder if he’d fallen into a trap, as if his boyfriend had planned this, or if he just got distracted easily by cute boys. No matter which it was, it was unacceptable, because Will was supposed to have his own devious plans.

He forced his eyes open and sat up. “Babe, come on, we really do need to get up.” Nico’s brow furrowed and he frowned, clearly still against the idea. “Noo…” He whined, curling up into a ball. Will sighed dramatically and stood up. “Neeks, come on, at least brush your teeth, you have morning breath.”


	5. Sleeptalking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I opted for sleeptalking because I wanted something light-hearted. I've also had really funny experiences with sleeptalking. Enjoy :)

Will talked in his sleep.

Kayla and Austin never complained when they were younger. It was rare that they even heard him do it, they were normally asleep before him. On the occasion it did happen, it was quiet and brief.

Still, they had heard him say decently funny things.  
No one prepared Nico for this.

It wasn’t exactly scary when he first heard Will do it, just startling. After the first few times, the struggle was not to laugh. When he brought it up to Austin and Kayla, they told him they had similar experiences.

“We used to wake up him on accident,” Kayla said while she laughed. “He’d get so mad! We ended up being more bothersome than him.” Austin snickered. Will always doubted them to some degree. How does one even talk in their sleep? Maybe he’d mumble a few coherent words, but that was it.

“Nah, man,” Austin said. “I used to be able to get a full conversation out of you if I played my cards right.”

“Bullshit,” Will argued. “There’s no way.” Nico gave him a playful look. “I’ve never gotten a conversation out of him, but I swear he’ll talk about his dreams as he has them.” He told Austin.

“Don’t encourage them!” Will fumed.

When Will would sleeptalk, it would take a slight movement a few minutes after he fell asleep. Often, Nico getting into bed after him would be enough. Nico found that Will would sometimes answer if he kept his voice quiet and even. That was quite the feat in itself.  
Nico shifted in bed and pulled the blanket around himself. Will hummed. “Stop, the zebra man is coming.” Nico bit his lip. “Who?” Like Will was alert of some kind of conversation, he turned to face Nico. “He’ll take our bananas.” A few seconds later and he was lightly snoring again. Nico chuckled as silently as possible.  
The next day Nico found Will napping on the couch. He would normally let him sleep, but they had errands. He sat on the floor in front of him and gently touched his nose. “Will, we gotta go to the store.” Will wasn’t hard to wake up. Nico wouldn’t call him a light sleeper, necessarily, just an alert one. He figured that was a result of being a medic.

Will’s face scrunched a bit. “You’re silly.”

It was purely the fact that Nico had dealt with him for so long that he knew this was sleeptalking. He sighed. “Wake up, Will.”

“No? Shut the fuck up.” He mumbled. That was the only time Nico ever woke Will up laughing. Will wanted to believe, when he woke up, that he hadn’t told Nico to shut up, but he was laughing much too hard not to be convinced.

Nico told him a million times that he wasn’t upset. “You’ve told me to shut the fuck up fully conscious before.” He said, wiping his eyes. “Oh, gods,” He chuckled. “You’re a savage, Will.”  
Will protested and apologized the whole way to the store.

Nico woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. All memories had been wiped from his brain as soon as his eyes opened, but his heart was racing in his chest. He took a few deep breaths. He was fine, everything was fine. He was safe in bed with Will.

He moved around a little, just to reposition and get comfortable again. He checked his phone, it was 1 am, there was still plenty of time to get back to sleep. But first, he answered Hazel’s text. It was sent only a few minutes ago, maybe she would talk to him until he felt calmer.

Somehow he’d managed to turn his ringer on because as soon as he started typing loud clacks emitted from his phone. He quickly turned it off though Will stirred next to him. It sounded like he was trying to say something, but all that came out was mumbled nonsense. Nico was about to just put his phone up and try to go back to sleep when Will managed actual words.

“Are you ready?” He started. “To plan a murder-” Nico’s phone buzzed, startling him into dropping it. The noise disrupted Will. “Oof.” Was all he said in response to the noise. As funny as it was, Nico just woke up from a bad dream. He wasn’t going to be able to ease back to sleep like this.

He poked his boyfriend awake. “I had a nightmare,” He whispered. Will rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry,” He yawned. “Are you okay?” Nico nodded, then realized it was too dark to see. “Yeah. Will you just talk to me for a little bit?” Will outstretched his arms. “Yeah, c’mere,” Nico laid his head on Will’s chest. He ran his fingers through his hair. “What’s on your mind?”

Nico inhaled. Will didn’t smell like anything particular, just clean and like what Nico now associated as home. “Hazel asked if we wanna get lunch with her and Piper tomorrow.” He mumbled. Will yawned. “That sounds nice. Did you tell her yes?” Nico tried to nod but his head movement was slightly restricted. “Yeah.” He smiled. “Piper sent a bunch of hearts, so I assume she thinks I made the right decision, too.”

Will fell asleep after that. Nico had started to fall asleep, too. He shifted enough to disrupt Will into talking again.

“It’s a leopard picnic.” He said. Nico fought off a yawn. “Yeah?” He acknowledged Will’s statement. “They’re drinking tea.” He finished. Nico smiled. “That sounds nice.” He nuzzled into Will. “I love you.” He whispered out of habit.

“I love you too.” Will murmured back, even in his sleep.


	6. Godswap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be a two-parter because it's 5am which is my cut-off time but I still have so much more to write. This isn't super Solangelo-based yet, so I'm sorry about that. Also, TW - the following contains references to drug usage. It's just pot though and it remains light-hearted.

Nico sat with his sister Piper in the strawberry fields braiding her hair. They had been sent out to pick some but had shortly given up and settled for eating them. Well, Piper had, so Nico followed.

“I can do yours next if you want,” Piper proposed through a bite of strawberry. Nico shook his head. “Nah, but thank you,” He said. He had just started his second attempt at a single dutch braid. Piper made him practice routinely, not that he minded.

Piper pouted. “Aw, please?” Nico laughed. “Why would you ask _me_ if I want you to then? You can if you really want to.” Piper smiled and clapped her hands. “Oo, okay!” Nico’s hands stilled, then undid the braid.

“I’m gonna try two, maybe it’ll be easier with less hair,” He sighed. “Mkay,” Piper hummed. “You sure you don’t want a strawberry? They’re delicious,” She sang, eating another. Nico nodded. “If you get busted for eating what you pick, I’m not going down with you.” Piper laughed. “At least I can be sure you’re not getting my hair sticky.”

Distant yelling caught their attention. Piper squinted. “Is that… Leo?” Nico sunk. “There goes my peaceful afternoon.” Leo sprinted the rest of the way to the siblings. “Hey!” He heaved. “Hi, Leo,” They mumbled unenthused together.

He plopped down in front of Piper. “What’re you guys doing?” He reached his hand out for Piper’s basket. She slapped his hand away. “We’re literally surrounded with strawberries. Get your own.” Leo didn’t react much to her scold, nor did he get his own. “If you’re gonna be here, come make yourself useful,” Nico said, gesturing with his elbow to Piper’s other side. He handed him a hairband.

Leo moved over next to Nico and took Piper’s hair. “So what’s up, Leo?” She asked, taking another strawberry. “What’s got you amped?” An impish smile spread across Leo’s face. “I heard through the grapevine-” He started before being interrupted.

“The grapevine being?” Nico asked. Sometimes Leo's sources were unreliable. He always double-checked. When Leo was quiet for a few seconds it proved his point. “Connor Stoll, but-” Nico rolled his eyes. “Of course.”

Leo glared at him. “Anyway, they told me something interesting about the Demeter cabin,” He continued. He paused for dramatic effect. Piper sighed. “What is it, Leo?” She humored him. Leo’s smile returned. “I’m glad you asked, Pipes!”

Nico glanced at Leo’s hands. “Focus, you’re gonna mess up,” He reminded. Leo looked down and realized he lost his place. Groaning, he undid it until he could pick it back up.

“The Demeter cabin does what?” Piper prompted.

“Oh! Yeah!” Leo perked up again. “Connor said the Demeter kids grow weed in their cabin.” Piper and Nico laughed. Leo’s eyebrows furrowed. “What? I’m serious!” He huffed.

Piper turned her head to look at Leo. “Agh!” Nico complained. “Stay still, I’m actually succeeding this time.” Piper turned her head back around. “How would Connor know that, Leo?”

Leo scoffed. “Travis told him!” Nico opened his mouth to argue but Leo was quick to prevent him. “He goes out with Katie Gardner! Y'know, head of the Demeter cabin,” He threw his hands up for emphasis, consequently dropping the braid. Nico didn’t look amused. Muttering swears, Leo picked up the braid and continued.

Piper raised her eyebrows in thought. “Well, I can’t say I’m convinced, but it’s worth investigating.” Nico let go of a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as he tied off the braid. “How do we even ‘investigate’ though?” He asked. He truthfully had no interest in smoking pot, but this whole thing sounded like trouble, which he was interested in. Piper excitedly patted the ground in front of her. He moved to the spot.

Leo grinned deviously again. Nico wasn’t sure if he was plotting at this point or if his smile was just naturally like that. Regardless, it was unsettling.

Piper stuck her hands in Nico’s hair to brush it out. “I already thought about that!” Nico bit back another snarky remark. He instead chose to indulge in a strawberry. Piper chuckled. “What’s your plan, Leo?” She asked, sectioning Nico’s hair.

“Okay,” He began, first tying his braid. Automatically Piper moved her hands to feel the braids. She could tell they were lopsided, but both boys tried their best. Leo moved to be in front of both of his friends. “I thought about who our connections are in Cabin Four, right?” Piper nodded. “None, right,"

Leo rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a negative Nancy. I thought that too at first. But-” He pointed to Nico. “I remembered a certain son of Demeter has the hots for our Nico here!” Piper’s face lit up. “You’re _right_!” She gasped. Nico’s eyes got wide. “Oh, no,” He physically retracted. “ _No_ way.”

The other boy deflated. “You don’t even know what exactly I’m asking yet!” He whined. Piper’s face fell, too. “Yeah, Nico,” She said. “For weed or not, it would be nice to see some progression there.” Nico pulled away from her. “What are you even talking about?”

Piper and Leo exchanged a look. Then Piper’s features got much softer. “Honey, it’s okay that you like him.” She said. Nico’s face flushed. “I hardly do! But that’s not even the issue.” Piper tucked some hair behind his ear. “What is, then?”

Nico sighed. “It’s that he likes me! I’ve put on our interactions on pause because, I don’t know, I’m scared? I’m afraid that one, my feelings will develop more, and two, he’ll expect something... more from me.” Leo shot Piper a questioning look before realization dawned upon him. He frowned. “Right… Well, back to the drawing board.” He slung an arm around Nico. "I'm sorry." Nico sighed.

Leo pulled away. "Don't be," He said seriously. "It's no biggie. Your boy always has more up his sleeve." Piper rolled her eyes. "Too much up his sleeve, if you ask me."

Leo stuck his tongue out. "I didn't."

A few days later, Leo hadn’t brought the weed back up. Nico hadn’t thought about it or the Demeter boy - Will. Will was his name and wow, Will was pretty. But that was it. He was just a boy Nico found pretty in a typical hopeless romantic fashion.

It was a particular night that Will kept catching his eye at dinner. How he managed it was beyond Nico, he was a whole six tables away. That cemented the idea that it was on purpose, though. Piper noticed, too. She chose not to say anything for Nico’s sake. If he had changed his mind surrounding the Demeter boy she would support him. If that _was_ the case, however, she’d tell the boy off first. He wouldn’t hurt her brother.

It was at the campfire that Nico approached Will. His heart was beating a little too fast for his comfort, but he kept a calm exterior. It was a skill developed from personal walls that he built and from being an Aphrodite kid. They all had a sense of emotional control others didn't.

Will’s face held less composure. He swallowed nervously when he saw Nico in front of him. It was fun to flirt in passing, and he was definitely making eyes at him at dinner, but he wasn’t prepared for direct conversation.

Nico had his hands stuffed casually in his jacket. Will thought that had to be hot, it was summer and they were by the fire. Of course, he also thought Nico was always hot. A playful smile danced on his lips. He jerked his head back. “Come walk with me?”

Will was sure he said something, although he wasn’t sure what. All he knew was that his head was buzzing the whole time he walked to the edge of the woods. “You look good in black,” Nico commented. Will sucked in a breath. It was just a plain black shirt he put on because he knew he would be in the fields today. But Nico complimented it, and Nico was a child of Aphrodite, so it had to mean something.

“Oh, thanks.” He mumbled. Nico smiled. “Of course.” He wasn’t sure why he had gone over to Will, exactly. Maybe to chat him up, though about what he didn’t know. That might reinforce certain ideas he didn’t want Will to have, anyway. It certainly wasn't his intention to Charmspeak him. That’s where he ended up in a fit of panic.

Will had never considered the idea that his body and mind would fail him in unison. That was a mistake he realized when his mouth started making words come out.

“Do you guys really grown weed in your cabin?” Nico asked.

“Yeah,” Will said with no thought. There wasn’t a single appropriate reaction he could have in front of Nico for what just came over him. He touched his mouth in disbelief. “Um, it’s mostly Katie who manages it. You’d have to talk to her about it. Oh, but don’t actually. Don’t mention it to anyone.”

Nico nodded with a chuckle. “On the condition that I can get in on it.” That struck Will as odd. Nico didn’t seem like one to smoke. The Stolls definitely, Travis frequented them. That Hephestus kid, too, probably. But Nico? Even if he did, it would probably be difficult to hide from his siblings. Piper would probably be cool with it, she might even partake. Drew, though? She would lose it if word got around that it was being grown. None of her siblings would have the guts to try to sneak it past her.

Still, Nico knew now and had demands. It didn’t matter if he was the stoner type or not. “Yeah,” Will said again. Nico smiled. “Thanks.” With that, he left.

Gods, what had Will just done?

“You did _what_?” Piper exclaimed. She was met with several shushes from her cabinmates. She apologized sheepishly.

Nico had just told her - very quietly she might add - that he asked Will about the weed. Lights off time was 15 minutes ago and some of their siblings were asleep, most of them weren’t. She probably would be if Nico hadn’t desperately asked her to stay up with him.

Her brother sighed. “I didn’t _mean_ to Charmspeak him! That’s all I could think to talk about.”

“Wow, someone needs to work on their conversation skills.”

“Thanks, Pipes.”

Piper rubbed her face. “Sorry. I just can’t believe you did that.” She hoped Leo hadn’t already come up with another scheme yet, or worse, put one into action.

“I can’t either.” Nico ran his hands through his hair. Piper leaned back on her hands. “Let’s just hope for the best.”


End file.
